I moved to Bangalore in 2004 to join a research program at one of India’s top institutes. Despite living in areas like Yeshwantpur, Indiranagar, and Electronic City for more than five years, I rarely visited more than a couple of puja pandals during my tenure.
In 2014, my husband and I moved to Bangalore after spending half a decade in Mysore. I joined HDFC Bank as a senior manager while he joined the Critical Care Unit of a top hospital. Because our news jobs began in the middle of the year, I was still in probation, devoid of any option to apply for leave during Puja that year. So, both of us spent our evenings at the Koramangla Puja manuals near our apartment in 6th Block and also made occasional visits to the Ulsoor puja.
Bangalore, with a massive population of Bengalis, always felt like home, yet I missed Baba and our para pandal so much that next year I didn’t think twice before booking tickets to return home during pujas.
Happy Maha Saptami to you and your family.
“I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa 2020″ campaign. This is my sixth blog post and you can read the previous five articles here.
An alumnus of Presidency College (Kolkata), Delhi University, and XIME (Bangalore), Sonia Chatterjee holds two post-graduate degrees in Chemistry and Management and an MFA in creative writing from Writer's Village University. With eight years of experience in the banking sector as a Branch Head, she took a sabbatical from the corporate world to start her blog soniasmusings.com. Her blog consistently featured in the Top Indian Blogs list from 2019 to 2024.
Her articles have been published on various digital platforms such as Women's Web, Youth Ki Awaaz, Tuck's Magazine, and Period Magazine. She was invited as a speaker at the Breaking Barriers, Kolkata 2018 event by the Women's Web, at the Women Writer’s Fest, Kolkata, 2020, and the Crime Writers Festival, Kolkata,2025.
Sonia has written two detective thrillers titled ‘Deal of Death – Introducing Raya Ray’ (2019) and ‘Diary, Deceit, and Death – A Raya Ray Adventure’ (Vishwakarma Publications, 2024) and a non-fiction book on true crime titled ‘The Sanyasi Who Became a King’ (Sristhi Publishers, 2025). Her book ‘Diary, Deceit, and Death’ was shortlisted for the PVLF Awards 2024-25 in the Best Fiction Category.
Sonia lives in Kolkata with her doctor husband and nine-and-a-half-year-old son.
View all posts by Sonia Chatterjee
9 thoughts on “My Friend Alexa Post 6 – Durga Puja in Bangalore”
I moved to Bangalore in 2003 and stayed there for 3 years. Your post brought back such loving memories. Durga Puja there was not as vibrant as in Kolkata, Bihar or even many places in Pune.
It was good to know your story with the city.
We lived in Koramangala for 4.5 years and never missed Pandal hopping any year. Though it was fun, the spark was missing. To visit Kolkata during Pujo time is a wish I hope is fulfilled soon.
I agree with you that there are a lot of Bengalis in Bangalore. I have been in Bangalore for the last 10 years. I enjoy Durga pooja every year but you are right, the Kolkata charm is missing.
I didn’t know there were pandals in Kormangala while I was there, I would have surely visited. (I know I’m coming in very late, but was reading about Durga Puja and landed here :))
soniasmusings 
I moved to Bangalore in 2003 and stayed there for 3 years. Your post brought back such loving memories. Durga Puja there was not as vibrant as in Kolkata, Bihar or even many places in Pune.
It was good to know your story with the city.
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Interesting to learn about Dussehra and Durga Pujo celebrations in Bangalore.
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I spent the early parts of my married life in Kolkata and the Durga Puja there is without comparison. Agartala has really good pandals too.
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We lived in Koramangala for 4.5 years and never missed Pandal hopping any year. Though it was fun, the spark was missing. To visit Kolkata during Pujo time is a wish I hope is fulfilled soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you that there are a lot of Bengalis in Bangalore. I have been in Bangalore for the last 10 years. I enjoy Durga pooja every year but you are right, the Kolkata charm is missing.
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It’s true. It doesn’t feel like Pujo once you moved out of the pandal area. I cannot make every year to Kolkata during pujo and miss the true vibe.
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There is no Durga puja anywhere, like that in West Bengal.I totally understand your feelings about this.
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I enjoy Durga Puja, but I’ve only attended the festival in Delhi the colors, food, chants, pandal it’s just amazing.
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I didn’t know there were pandals in Kormangala while I was there, I would have surely visited. (I know I’m coming in very late, but was reading about Durga Puja and landed here :))
LikeLiked by 2 people